Grape Expectations

A Primer on what to pour

As if planning and preparing your Thanksgiving meal wasn’t complicated enough, choosing the right wine to serve seems to vex even the most self-assured cooks. Here are some tips to help make your wine service go as smoothly as a pumpkin pie.

First, know your audience. If the crowd around your table favors sweet whites or powerful reds, suck it up and serve that. Thanksgiving isn’t the setting to educate Aunt Zelda about the nuances of bone-dry acidity. And if you simply can’t quaff the overwhelming Parker-anointed Napa cab that Cousin Joey insists on opening, put out some of your own favorites. Your discriminating guests will be thankful.

Mix it up. There’s no need to choose between white or red; many Thanksgiving feasts include both. With so many flavors on the table, guests can have their pick or stick with one.

Make it progressive. Add interest to each stage of the meal by serving different types of wines with each course. Start with some bubbly, move on to a white, then rosé, red and back to the bubbles for dessert.

Go global. Hey, we’re a country of immigrants. What better way to honor our true American roots than with a bracing New Zealand sauvignon blanc, an aromatic Alsatian Gewürztraminer or a lively French cru Beaujolais (just skip the often insipid nouveaus).

A tried and true rule. There is no tried and true rule. But you should lean toward wines that are light to medium bodied

and with lower tannins. Avoid such food-

unfriendly styles as buttery chardonnays or palate-numbing, high-alcohol reds. Go for reds with berry or cherry notes, such as a pinot noir. Added bonus: Many pinots also offer scents of mushroom or herbs.

How much to buy. One bottle gives you five 5-ounce glasses, and the standard dinner party formula calls for two glasses per person. But since when is Thanksgiving standard? Not to promote excessive consumption, but your meal can stretch out over many hours, so plan on a realistic one bottle per imbibing guest. More leftovers for you.

How much to spend? Every Thanksgiving wine-pairing article I’ve read advises people to go low and not spend more than $10. Times are tough and if that’s what fits your budget, there are plenty of great choices out there. Personally, when my family gets together for an all-too-rare meal, we opt for the good stuff.

Still feel lost? Pay a visit to a trusted local wine shop and ask for help. Also, check out Natalie MacLean’s excellent online Wine & Food Matcher (nataliemaclean.com), which offers such specific Turkey Day advice as what goes best with cranberry sauce or pecan stuffing. Or, invite someone with wine savvy and ask her to create a wine list. And, thanks, but I’ve got plans for Thanksgiving.

Finally, relax. Holidays are stressful enough without worrying about selecting the perfect wine, if there is such a thing. In theory, it’s a day to be with people you love, or at least like, so if your wines aren’t a big hit, no one will judge you. Oh, wait, we’re talking about being with family …